GORGING in the FARM of ENGLAND

Frances & Michael Howorth tour Somerset, a land of legend, history, and beauty

Somerset, the land of legend, history and beauty has something for everyone, with plenty to do, see, eat and drink. We hunted for scrumpy, gorged ourselves on cheddar cheese, saw splendid caves and enjoyed wonderful walks and cycle rides. Along the way we found campsites full of fun for all the family and some of the prettiest and most historic villages to be found anywhere. Many of them chocolate box, picture-perfect and unspoiled.

At the heart of every good English village is a pub and in Somerset that statement is alive and well. We deliberately chose to eat out often on this, our first motorcaravan tour of the county, because of the reputation for excellence. Stand-out eateries included the Luttrell Arms in Dunster, the Lamb at Axbridge, The Swan at Wedmore and the White Hart in Somerton, each one of them offering a warm welcome, a local beer and attentive customer service.

For many motorcaravan owners, the M5 motorway provides the perfect conduit from the middle of the country into Somerset. It offers a quick, clean getaway route into rural tranquillity. Just 7 miles off this arterial highway is Brean, quite possibly the camping capital of the world. Never have we encountered quite so many campsites in such a concentration. Warren Farm was our choice from among these large and accommodating behemoths and the cheery greeting we received from the ladies at check-in was a good omen, suggesting we had chosen well. Seven miles of sandy beach lie just across the road and it offers easy access to the Brean Down way, an exciting cycle path and walking trail. Fishing in well stocked lakes is just one of a plethora of alternative amenities the site has to offer. Its proximity to the town of Cheddar, home of gorge, cheese and caves, is another good reason to use Warren Farm as a base.

In Cheddar there is plenty to do and easy to access car parks without height restrictions makes taking your van into town a breeze. Once there, head for the Cheddar Gorge Cheese Company and book a tour. Their all-day ticket allows you to pop in and out of the factory so that you can watch each of the procedures that turns 250 litres of fresh, raw milk (from a single herd of cows) into a 28-kilo cheese. It is the only cheese still made in town and could, as such, be classed as the real deal. Walk through town and up to the caves to visit the fascinating caverns. In one of them there is a substantial storage cage where cheese, made just yards away, is stored and matured. If you still feel energetic, climb the 274 steps of Jacob's Ladder and again, up yet more stairs to the top of a look-out that commands spectacular views across Cheddar Gorge. The climb is well worth the effort. You’ll be rewarded with magnificent views of the Mendips and beyond. To the south you will see the flat, lush water meadows of the Somerset Levels and to the north the windswept plateau that runs for over 22 miles east to west!

Dinner that first night was enjoyed at The Lamb, a traditional oak-beamed coaching inn with open fireplaces dating back to 1480. It is in the heart of Axbridge, an historic medieval village where locals have brought their history to light by adorning key buildings with interesting blue plaques. The pub’s menu is crammed with tasty pub classics and hearty seasonal dishes, while the bar is well stocked with Butcombe beer, local cider and ales.

We stayed our next night outside Minehead at St Audries Holiday Camp, now under new ownership. This pleasant campsite, with its >>

Rodney Stoke Caravan &

St Leonards Farm Caravan and Camping Park

• Motorhome & Touring Van Storage

• Spaces Available for 2023!

Ringwood Rd, West Moors, Ferndown, Dorset BH22 0AQ

Peaceful, level well drained site near Bournemouth. Electric hook-ups, shower and toilet block, hard standing pitches available. New storage spaces for Motorhomes available now!

Permanent Holiday Static Caravans for Sale fully sited. Storage spaces & seasonal pitches. 01202 872637 • enquiries_stleonards@yahoo.co.uk www.stleonardsfarmpark.com

Small, adults only caravan park near the famous Cheddar Gorge.

07383 575887 rodneystoke@westcountryparks.co.uk Behind The Rodney Stoke Inn, Wells Road, Cheddar, Somerset BS27 3XB amp electrical supply Heated shower block . Motorcaravan Drain Point Set in 100 acres of farmland 2 miles from the open forest

Open 1st March - 6th January

Tel: 01425 672487 www.caravan-sites.co.uk

E-mail: harrowwood@caravan-sites.co.uk

Poplar Lane, Bransgore, Christchurch, Dorset, BH23 8JE renovation. 15 motorcaravan touring sites are all gathered in their own, self-contained cluster, yet they have access to all the facilities the holiday camp has to offer. If the onsite restaurant is closed, which it was when we stopped over, allow us to recommend the delightfully different and totally delicious menu at the Luttrell Arms in the medieval village of Dunster. Located within the Exmoor National Park, the village is a delight. Complete with its own has a wealth of other listed buildings and hidden treasures.

Porlock Weir is another of those very special Somerset villages. It has been owned by the Braithwaite family for the past 400 years and their stewardship has ensured it has retained its charm. With its whitewashed cottages, ancient inn and stone quay, Porlock Weir is postcard pretty. Although the tidal harbour now provides shelter only for pleasure craft, in the past cargoes including limestone, coal, timber and produce, were shipped to and from here to South Wales and beyond. Porlock Weir oysters have been grown and eaten here since 1836 and we were keen to eat some just yards from the beds where they had been reared. Ian Kershaw of the Porlock Weir Oyster Company was keen to let us try, so gladly, and rather expertly, he shucked some for us to sample. Served with an interesting array of unusual garnishes, they were delicious.

The harbour in the historic town of Watchet, is now a pleasure boat marina. The harbourside car park has two bays reserved for the exclusive use of motorcaravans which is both nice to see and easy to use. We parked there to visit East Quay, a two-year-old community-run enterprise, that has fast become a tourist attraction. The centre is the initiative of five young mums, who thought they could improve their town, create jobs, be inventive and have fun while doing so. They have succeeded and now you can eat great Mediterranean style foods in their café, admire art hanging in galleries and watch artists create it.

The Swan at Wedmore was that night’s gourmet dinner delight. It is a bustling village pub with an outstanding kitchen led by executive chef Tom Blake from River Cottage, alongside head chef Sam Sperring-Trendl. The menu changes regularly and uses all the best local ingredients.

We arrived at our next campsite just in time to see them packing up a hot air balloon that had landed beside our pitch while we had been away at the pub! The delightfully peaceful Bucklegrove Holiday Park is owned by the Wookey Hole group and has stunning views over the flat plains of the Somerset levels. It has two touring and camping fields: “Strawberry Field” and “The Grove”. They are beautifully landscaped areas with mature native trees and flowering shrubs. Each has a facility block and individually marked and numbered pitches.

Set on the western slopes of the Mendip Hills is the medieval city of Wells. It has been a sacred site set beside freshwater springs for over a thousand years. There is plenty for families to do here, including spending a day exploring the market, the many independent shops and the historic Wells Cathedral, its Bishop's Palace and gardens. We arrived early and managed to park our campervan easily. The 12th century cathedral is both beautiful and historic. It remains a centre of Christianity, having attracted pilgrims and tourists alike over the centuries. Guided tours of the gardens and Bishop’s Palace take place three times a day and are included in the admission. We loved hearing the stories about dragons and a family of mute swans that has lived here for over 200 years.

A tour of the cathedral is a must. The original church dates from 705, but the present one mostly dates back to the 1200s and contains one of the world’s only two chained libraries. Perhaps our favourite feature was the Wells clock. Installed circa 1390, it has one of the oldest medieval clockfaces in the world and on the quarter-hour you should pause to watch jousting knights appear in tournament. Better still, wait until noon and get the full show! >>

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A unique woodland touring site in South Somerset close to the Devon and Dorset borders, just 20 mins from Lyme Regis and the Jurassic coast. Level pitches with electric, family friendly, dog friendly, and firepit friendly with an on-site shop selling local produce. Call us 01460 65079 www.alpinegrove.co.uk

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COAST ROAD, BREAN SANDS, SOMERSET, TA8 2RB wdlh.co.uk

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Here at Uphill Marina & Touring Park you will find well-kept level pitches with wonderful views of our salt water marine lake and the area that surrounds this friendly site. Shower & toilet blocks • Chemical waste facs Hardstandings & elec hook-up • Open all year Dogs welcome • Free WiFi • Close to shops, pubs, a restaurant and 200m from the beach

A small and friendly campsite set in the heart of the glorious Blackdown Hills

Seasonal and touring pitches

Open all year • Dog friendly

Beautiful walks and cycling routes

Small on-site shop • Country pub nearby

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Culmhead, Taunton, Somerset TA3 7EA

The cathedral has an excellent café in the loft which is rightly famous for its fish chowder and cheese scones. It is the best way to take a break during a wonderful tour of a fascinating city full of history. Space is far too short to explain what fun Wells truly is, so it pays to check the website (www.wellssomerset. com) and plan your visit accordingly.

The internationally famous garden at East Lambrook Manor is home to a quintessential English cottage garden. Its creator, Margery Fish, a novice gardener when she came to live here, went on to become a renowned plants woman and gardening writer. She made the cottage garden style fashionable and today the garden remains a place of great beauty and charm. The garden has a rustic feel and is lovingly cared for by the owner, Mike Werkmeister, who keeps it much like Margery Fish left it.

On Burrow Hill in Kingsbury Episcopi, the Somerset Cider Brandy company has been making cider since the 1970s and brandy since 1987. Julian Timperley, together with his daughter, Matilda, has been reviving and refining the ancient art of cider brandy production. In 1989, this pioneering spirit led to HM Customs granting the company the UK's first ever full cider-distilling licence. Somerset Cider Brandy is now found in some of the finest restaurants in the world, evoking all the magic and mystery of the West Country's proud cider-making and apple-growing traditions. Just don’t mention the word Calvados! Visit and take a tasting tour; if you don't like alcohol, try the apple juice, it's divine.

Somerton is mentioned in the Domesday Book. This ancient hilltop town has maintained its historic charm and boasts a 17th century Market Square and an octagonal Market Cross as its focal point. The White Hart is the village’s 16thcentury pub. It has exposed stone walls, parquet floors and an eclectic, slightly bohemian feel about it. The restaurant, where we ate dinner, is run by Tom Blake, a former head chef at River Cottage and his chargrilled chicken salad and wood-roasted pork belly are dishes of choice!

“Park anywhere you like,” says a smiling Sally England when we arrived at Thorney Lakes Campsite. “We don’t do regimented lines or formalised pitches here,” she adds helpfully. Sally and her family started this delightful site with its stunning fishing lakes 30 years ago and it is often full. If you like camping without clothes on, Thorney Lakes hosts the annual Nude Fest each July. It is the biggest nude camping experience for Naturists anywhere in the UK.

The Fleet Air Arm Museum in Yeovilton is devoted to the history of British naval aviation. It has an extensive collection of military and civilian aircraft, aero engines, models of aircraft and Royal Navy ships, and paintings and drawings related

In the heart of Exmoor National Park

Burrowhayes Farm

CARAVAN & CAMPING SITE AND RIDING STABLES www.burrowhayes.co.uk

Select family site in a delightful National Trust setting, just 2 miles from the coast. Surroundings moors & woods provide a walkers paradise and children play & explore safely. Pony trekking from the site. Good little shop. Heated shower & disabled facilities, laundrette & pot wash. Touring, Camping & Motorhome pitches. Fully serviced hardstandings available. Caravan Holiday Homes for hire.

Popular family site in a delightful National Trust setting, just 2 miles from the coast Surroundings moors & woods provide a walkers paradise and children play & explore safely. Stables offer pony trekking for all abilities

Heated shower block with disabled and baby changing facilities, laundrette & pot wash Sites for Tourers, tents and motorhomes with hook-ups. Caravan holiday homes for hire.

Tel: 01643 862463

Tel: 01643 862463 info@burrowhayes.co.uk

Email: info@burrowhayes co uk

Halse Farm

Caravan Park & Campsite

Spectacular views & walks • WiFi

Clean, heated toilet block • 10 amp electric hook-ups • Chemical disposal point • Disabled facilities

Laundrette • Children’s play area

Gas exchange • Dogs welcome

T: 01643 851259 mcc@halsefarm.co.uk www.halsefarm.co.uk

Golden Square Caravan & Camping Park

Nr Helmsley, York, YO62 5YQ

Award-winning 5 Star family park nestled on the edge of the North Yorkshire Moors. Enjoy panoramic views and two heated, luxury stone-built toilet/shower blocks.

01439 788 269 www.goldensquarecaravanpark.com reception@goldensquarecaravanpark.com

Looe Country Park

to naval aviation. It has significant importance to our family in that it displays a replica of Short Improved S.27, an aircraft that seems to have been made from string and canvas. The original machine was flown by Frances’s grandfather, Charles Rumney Samson.

Not far away, and like the museum just off the A303, Nick and Ash Signfield have opened a farm shop that provides a true taste of Somerset. Named after their daughter Teal, the concept was inspired by their trans-African travels and is purposefully different in its concept. A clever mix of restaurant, café and farm shop, it is a relaxing spot to share a meal with friends, buy exceptional, locally produced meat or top-up with groceries, freshly baked breads and pastries, heritage cheeses and thoughtful gifts. If nothing else Teals demonstrates what we have said for years, that if Kent is the garden of, then Somerset is the farm of England.

MVS Ltd, 6 Ilton Business Park, Ilton, Ilminster, Somerset TA19 9DU Tel: 01460 247200

E: info@magnummvs.co.uk www.magnummvs.co.uk www.pebblebank.co.uk

Ideally situated in front of Chesil Beach and less than two miles from Weymouth town centre.

Stunning panoramic views

Farm walk access to Coast Path

Sea Barn Farm

Toilet and showers seabarnfarm.co.uk

• Open all year • A large family run touring park • A collection of self catering cottages and static caravans • Seasonal, heated enclosed outdoor/indoor swimming pool • Children’s play area

Specialising in: Clutches

Brakes

Tyres

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MOTs servicing & repairs

Fishing and holidaying in dog friendly tranquil surroundings, perfect for families. Set within the Somerset/ Quantock Hills countryside and close to the coast.

01278 732135 www.burtonsprings.co.uk burtonsprings@yahoo.co.uk

Burton, Bridgwater, TA5 1QB cullodenservicestation@gmail.com

1A Barn Church Road | Inverness, IV2 7WB

In next month's Out & About we travel to...

• Over 18s health club with gym, adult indoor pool, steam room and sauna • Coffee house • Bar and takeaway with entertainment Charmouth, Dorset DT6 6QL | 01297 560226 www.manorfarmholidaycentre.co.uk 01463 792979

Cumbria & the Lake District